Dressing up for Halloween at work can be fun but it can also be scary if you don’t help your employees know what NOT to wear.

If your business is one that encourages (or endures) Halloween costumes for employees, it’s a good idea to establish some ground rules for what types of costumes employees should avoid. The key advice is what we describe as the “vampire rule of Halloween Costumes”: Some costumes that may seem appropriate for a nighttime adult party are way out of line in the light of day. Here’s our annual reminder of …

Halloween costumes to discourage at work

The gory costume

Violence and bloodshed before five p.m. are never good ideas, even if you’re dressed like a character from the Walking Dead.

The political costume

You can buy President Trump masks, but here’s some advice: Don’t. Are you praising or mocking a particular political figure? Do you really want even more discussions about politics at work?

The ripped-from-the-headlines costume

Like the political costume, the ripped-from-the-headlines holiday costume may have sounded clever when you first thought of it, but there are just too many ways a social media hashtag can go bad.

The religious costume

Speaking of offensive, religion is another hot button costume category you would do best to avoid. Do your best to respect your coworkers’ religious beliefs and curb the desire to go to work as Moses or Buddha or Pope Francis.

The overly-complex costume

Working is still your primary objective at the office, even on Halloween. Don’t trap yourself in a costume that will make work difficult, painful or awkward. Avoid costumes that are hot and prevent you from seeing, sitting properly or using your hands.

The let’s make fun of the co-worker costume

There is no better way to offend the people you work with than by mocking them at Halloween. Even if you aren’t trying to mock anyone, your costume could come across as condescending, mean or even a little creepy. And don’t say you’re Elliot on Mr. Robot if you’re actually dressed like the tech-support guy.